Did you know?

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 9.5 teaspoons of sugar consumption per day. Yet the average adult consumes 22 teaspoons per day and the average child, 32 teaspoons per day! The biggest culprit for overconsumption of sugar in the diet is from soft drinks. A 12-ounce can of regular soda contains 10 to 12 teaspoons of sugar—and since the average American drinks 53 gallons of soft drinks per year, that computes to about 500 calories from added sugar, every day!

Refined (white) sugar contains zero vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fibers. That’s why nutritionists often refer to sugar as “empty calories.” In other words, it is adding calories but nothing nutritional. Refined sugar is linked to: obesity, hypertension, hypoglycemia, depression, headaches, fatigue, nervous tension, achy limbs, diabetes, acne, stiffening of arteries and violent behavior.

Refined sugar is a type of added sugar, also known as a free sugar. It is used in manufacturing or added by the cook or consumer. In contrast, naturally occurring sugars are found in fruit and some vegetables. When reading food labels, “total sugars” include both naturally occurring sugars and added sugar. It is not possible for manufacturers to be accurate in separating out the types of sugars, because during the manufacturing process, some sugar may be converted into another ingredients. Sugars also combine with other ingredients to enhance flavors, making it difficult to determine whether they have been added, occur naturally or been combined in the cooking process.

The most common sugars are sucrose, glucose and fructose, lactose and maltose.

• Sucrose is extracted from sugar cane or sugar beet and also naturally present in most fruits and vegetables.
• Glucose and fructose are found in fruits, vegetables and honey.
• Lactose is found in dairy products.
• Maltose is found in malted drinks and beer.

The body breaks down each sugar in the same way. The key to prevent the health issues mentioned above is to consume sugar in moderation. Because sugar is found in some form in so many foods, it is easy to consume more than is recommended. The key is to consume and maintain a healthy balanced diet and to avoid added sugars as much as possible, since enough can be derived from fruit and vegetables.

To keep your digestive tract functioning as well as possible, remember to take DIGESITVE⁺⁺⁺ daily. Also check out our study about the effects of Laminine on blood sugar levels in the 2016 Physicians’ Desk Reference here!